Col. Edward J. Healey
Afloat Deputy Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2
23 September 2022
Colonel Healey, a native of Worcester, MA, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in May 1995. After graduating from The Basic School and the Infantry Officers Course, he served as a rifle platoon commander and anti-armor platoon commander with 3d Battalion, 8th Marines in Camp Lejeune, NC. During this assignment, he deployed to Monrovia, Liberia in support of Operation ASSURED RESPONSE and to Okinawa, Japan.
Colonel Healey transferred to the 1st Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) Company in Norfolk, VA in July 1998. He served as an assistant platoon commander and platoon commander, deploying twice to the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet area of operations. He participated in contingency operations in East Timor following the bombing of the USS Cole in October 2000. In July 2001, Colonel Healey attended the Command and Control Systems Course in Quantico, VA.
Colonel Healey transferred back to Camp Lejeune in June 2002 for duty with 3d Battalion, 2d Marines as the Kilo Company Commander. During this tour he participated in Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM, deploying to Iraq in 2003 and Djibouti in 2004.
In July 2004 he transferred to San Bruno, CA for duty as the operations officer for the 23d Marine Regiment. He attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, KS in July 2007.
Colonel Healey returned to Camp Lejeune in June 2008 and was assigned as the operations officer of 2d Reconnaissance Battalion. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 as the Officer in Charge of Detachment, 2d Reconnaissance Battalion supporting the 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Helmand Province. Colonel Healey transferred to 2d Marine Division (Forward) in August 2010. He deployed back to Afghanistan in 2011 as the G-3 Current Operations Officer.
In July 2011, Colonel Healey assumed command of 3d Battalion, 8th Marines. He deployed with the battalion to Afghanistan from April to November 2012 in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. After relinquishing command in June 2013, he attended the College of Naval Warfare in Newport, RI.
Following his assignment in Newport, Colonel Healey reported for duty to the U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany in July 2014. While assigned to EUCOM, he fulfilled duties as an action officer in the J3 Current Actions Branch, as the Executive Officer to the Director of Operations, and as the Global Force Management Branch Chief. Upon return to Camp Lejeune in July 2017 for duty with Task Force Southwest as the senior combat advisor to the 215th Corps, Afghan National Army, he deployed back to Helmand Province from January to November 2018.
In January 2019, Colonel Healey assumed duties as the 2d MEB G-3 Officer and then as the Chief of Staff in July 2019. During this tour, he deployed with the MEB to participate in multinational exercises in Norway and the Baltic Sea Region and Task Force Northeast to Massachusetts as part of the DoD response to the COVID-19 pandemic in support of FEMA.
Col Healey commanded the 25th Marine Regiment from July 2020 until June 2022, including command of MAGTF 25 during the planning and execution of Integrated Training Exercise 4-21.
Colonel Healey graduated from The Citadel with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics. He holds a Masters Degree in Military Arts and Science from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.